Maine Voices: Snowe, Collins standing in the way of better nutrition in schools

In an opinion piece in today’s Portland Press Herald, pediatric dentist and public health expert Dr. Jonathan Shenkin takes aim at Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for their efforts to keep potatoes on the USDA menu for children in public schools.

“In a letter dated Aug. 3, Collins and Snowe, along with eight other lawmakers, urged a congressional subcommittee to prevent the USDA from being able to set these limits on potato products in schools. This is making policymakers nervous because of the power our two U.S. senators wield in Congress, and how far their efforts will set children’s health back in the United States and in Maine.

Potatoes in school lunches may seem an innocuous addition to the menu. However, studies show that french fries and other potato products are a real problem in children’s diets. The issue is that potatoes are most often served in schools as french fries, by no means a healthy food for children to consume on a daily basis at school or at home.”